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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — a contest
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. race — the arms race
  6. press — newspapers
  7. degree — an amount
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. charge — in control
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. press — to push
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — a publisher
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com